


Turnabout's fair play

by itzteegan



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Adoribull - Freeform, Caught, F/M, Friendship, M/M, Morning After, Secret Relationship, Teasing, Walk Of Shame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-19 16:47:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18974098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itzteegan/pseuds/itzteegan
Summary: The Inquisitor suspects something is going on between Dorian Pavus and The Iron Bull, and Arya Lavellan has never been one to just leave things be.





	Turnabout's fair play

I'd had my suspicions for a while, but nothing tangible. A whisper here, a rumour there. Overheard conversations in our travels that were quickly hushed and left unexplored in the open. _Fine, let them have their secrecy,_ I'd thought, figuring that if the Ben-Hassrath agent and the Magister's son wanted to keep their trysts secret, then they had the right to that. There was still a part of me that was curious, however, a part of me that wanted my friends to be happy and wanted to celebrate that happiness with them. I wasn't going to outright push them to tell me, though. Not when there was more than one way to skin a cat.

 

An opportunity presented itself when Cullen gave us a mission in the Emerald Graves. There was Red Templar activity there and he wanted us to check it out and see if there was anything that could tell us where they were getting their red lyrium from. If we could only find their source and destroy it, we could cripple Corypheus' forces, leaving only the Venatori to fight for him. That would make things considerably easier, and so we made plans to set off immediately. As I was pondering who to take, I smiled a conspirator’s grin as I told Cullen, "You know, I don't think I'll need a rogue's skill in the Graves. I'll take Blackwall, The Iron Bull, and Dorian with me."

 

Cullen, well used to my eccentricities by this point, simply nodded. "Very well, I'll make sure the necessary provisions are packed and ready for you to depart in the morning."

 

That was easy enough. Cullen had initially been standoffish with me since I was a mage and he a former Templar, but in the time we'd spent helping build the Inquisition, he'd come to trust me and my decisions. Not blindly, of course, but in matters like who I'd take with me on missions, he left that to my discretion. And so I made my rounds, stopping first in the library to inform Dorian. He was about elbow deep in some research, and I almost felt bad for pulling him away from it, but if anything he seemed relieved to be offered a break. The Bull I found in the tavern after a training session, sweat still dripping down his brow as he drank deeply from a mug of ale. At the prospect of some action, he grinned widely. "Ready whenever you are, boss," he said simply as he called Krem over to give him some instruction for the Chargers while he would be gone.

 

All that was left was to tell Blackwall, and he was in the stables, as he usually was in his spare time. So intent was he in his woodworking that he didn't even hear me approach. It wasn't until I hopped up and sat on top of the table that he noticed, startling at first before a smile tugged at his moustache-covered lips. "My lady," he addressed me, and I couldn't help the slight eye roll at that.

 

"You don't have to call me that, you know. I'm not a lady, I'm a Dalish Elf. We don't have nobility like humans."

 

He shrugged. "You're still a lady to me."

 

I couldn't deny the flush that coloured my cheeks at the implication that he held me in a high regard whether I technically held such a title or not. He made no mention of that, however, and so I cleared my throat and changed the subject. "Cullen got a lead on some Red Templar activity out in the Emerald Graves. I'd like you to come with me."

 

Putting aside his tools, he asked only, "When do we leave?"

 

"Tomorrow morning."

 

"Then I shall be ready."

 

With my team rounded up, I absconded to my own room to pack and prepare. The Emerald Graves was not exactly close, but thankfully it wasn't as far as the Hissing Wastes. That had been a journey I wasn't keen to make again anytime soon.

 

The trip itself was uneventful, and as we set up at the base camp, Dorian and I studied the map and cross referenced Cullen's information to try to suss out where we might find these Red Templars. There were at least three groups out here, according to the reports, but we would have to keep our eyes open in case there were more roaming around. It never hurt to be too careful, especially when it came to the red lyrium-crazed templars. Granted we fought demons almost constantly, and Venatori here and there, but I always hated going up against Red Templars. There was just something in their ferocity that was inhuman and savage. If one substance could reduce a civilised person to that ... it was uncomfortable to consider. And we had not only them but the Freeman of the Dales to contend with the Graves, along with Great Bears and Giants and all manners of creatures. The place was as deadly as it was beautiful, and it was extraordinarily beautiful.

 

It was nice, at least, to have good friends along with me as we traversed the Graves. Not that I didn't get along with everyone I took along with me, but this particular group was close. Now that Blackwall and I were an official couple, Dorian and The Bull took to teasing us, but we both took it in stride. They meant well, none of it was malicious. And if The Bull waggled his eyebrows as he set up my tent a little further than the rest and then neglected to set one up for Blackwall, well ... who were we to look a gift horse in the mouth? My paramour merely shook his head as he settled down by the fire he'd built, and I plopped down next to him and laid my head on his shoulder. He didn't say anything, merely circled his arm around my back and pulled me a little closer. Dorian rolled his eyes and The Bull chuckled under his breath, but nothing was directly said about it. In our evening conversations, however, it didn't escape my notice all the little glances Dorian threw towards the large Qunari. He probably thought I didn't see, but I did, especially after Blackwall and I exchanged a kiss. It was a rather chaste one, considering how we could get, but I didn't miss that look on the Tevinter mage that could only be described as longing.

 

At that, I figured, the two had been tortured enough by how late Blackwall and I had stayed up, and so I nudged the warden in the side and told him, "I think I'm going to retire for the evening. Care to join me?"

 

His eyebrow cocked at the open, blatant invitation, but he didn't miss a beat. "After you, my lady."

 

I chuckled as I lead him toward my tent, turning and biting my lip as I lifted the flap and stepped inside. He embraced me and I could feel the rumbling laughter reverberate in his chest. "What?" I asked.

 

"You are cruel sometimes, you know that?"

 

"Whatever do you mean?" I inquired, my tone light and innocent.

 

"You know exactly what I mean," he countered, nudging my nose with his. "You've been a lot closer to me all night. Not that I'm protesting, mind you, but it wouldn't have anything to do with Dorian and The Iron Bull, would it?"

 

"Mmm, just testing a theory."

 

"Oh? Do tell."

 

"There's a reason I brought The Bull and Dorian specifically. I think they could do with some ... alone time ... if you know what I mean."

 

"Ah. So, teasing our friends by flaunting our relationship is how you do that?"

 

"It's just a little incentive for indulging."

 

He shook his head, but chuckled at the same time. "You are terrible."

 

"But you love it."

 

"That I do," he replied, his lips sealing over our own as his hands tugged at my robe. Thankfully, the distance of our tents meant that we didn't need to be completely silent as we had in the past, and the breathy moans we exchanged was like our own special music. It wasn't quite the same as when we were in my own, isolated room and we could be completely unrestrained, but we certainly weren't about to say no to a chance at intimacy. After all, with the threat of Corypheus and the Venatori ever looming, one never knew what might happen. We had to enjoy what we had while we had it.

 

The next morning, I woke early enough, the sun already rising through the sky and shining through the canopy. Blackwall was still asleep and I made great pains to not disturb him as I rose and dressed simply in a pair of leggings and one of his undershirts. I would redress in more proper attire later, but this would function perfectly well for breakfast. All was quiet in the camp as I stepped out of my tent, thanks to the extensive protection runes Dorian had set up the night before. He was thorough enough that we hadn't even needed to establish a watch, and I was actually the first one up. Stoking the coals, I added some material and restarted the fire, rubbing my arms in the morning chill as I swung the kettle over it and waited for the water to heat.

 

It was as I was digging out a cup and some tea leaves that Dorian came stumbling out ... not out of his own tent, but that of The Iron Bull's. His hair dishevelled and his clothes all askew, he startled to see me sitting by the campfire. No doubt he’d figured he was the first one up and could make it to his tent and dress and ready for the day without an audience, but I had beat him and now he was caught red handed. I raised an eyebrow and he nodded, straightening up, running his fingers through his hair, and taking a deep breath before he joined me. "Got another cup in there for me?"

 

I nodded, locating another one and handing it to him as I set the tin of leaves between us. He immediately set to fixing up both of our cups without further comment. As the water reached its boiling point, I carefully plucked it out of the fire and while pouring it, I couldn't resist commenting, "So, The Iron Bull, hmm? He does seem ... quite the man."

 

Dorian froze for a moment before he shot back, "I beg your pardon?"

 

I maintained a stone face as I continued, echoing the same sentiments he'd expressed about Blackwall when it came out that we were together. "Oh, nothing. There's just ... a whole lot of him. Burly. Must be warm by the fire." The Tevinter mage said nothing more, but his cheeks and the tips of his ears were as pink as the dawnstone in The Bull's new set of armour. At the sight I could no longer help myself as I cracked a wide grin. "I'm only teasing. Turnabout's fair play, after all. I'm happy for you, Dorian. The Bull's a good man."

 

He cleared his throat as he finally commented, "Yes, well, it seems we both like large men."

 

"Nothing wrong with that."

 

"No, nothing at all." Settling back on his haunches, he hummed as we sipped our tea, a comfortable silence passing between us, settling as we swung back into our old routines of morning tea by the fire during missions. Of course, Dorian being Dorian, he couldn't let sleeping dogs lie for too long, and he finally piped up with, "You know, it does put things into perspective sometimes."

 

"Oh? How do you mean?"

 

That little smirk of his, I knew it meant trouble as he continued, "I mean really, what kind of threat is Corypheus if you can take The Iron Bull up your ass?"

 

I choked on my tea and the mage threw his head back and laughed. "Dorian!" was all I could sputter as he reached over and pounded me on the back to help dislodge the tea I'd inhaled.

 

"Turnabout's fair play and all, Inquisitor," he commented cheekily. And really, how could I be mad at that? A woman had to admit when she had been defeated, and Dorian had thoroughly flummoxed me. As much as I loved my friends and wanted them to be happy – and was happier still that it seemed they found something in each other – that didn't mean I wanted to hear intimate details of their sex life first thing in the morning. I never liked to do much before some morning tea, and Dorian knew that. Later, back in Skyhold, I knew he'd take me aside and spill all the details he wanted, and we'd gossip our little hearts out about our respective lovers. But in the moment he'd caught me off guard, outmanoeuvring and turning the tables on me.

 

"Touché, my friend."

 

He looked entirely too pleased with himself as he sipped on his own cup of tea, The Bull emerging from his tent at that moment and Blackwall joining us only a few minutes later. We spent a typically quiet breakfast together before we all helped break down the camp, Dorian taking down the enchantments as I packed up our supplies, The Bull took down our tents, and Blackwall tended to making sure there was little evidence of us being there the night before. Once we were packed and readied, we set off for the first location on the map, hoping we could knock out at least two of them that day. The relationship talk, while it was coming, could wait until we got back to Skyhold.

 

We had Red Templars to hunt.


End file.
